Tony Finau reveals what the Houston Open does to get ‘great players’ like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy to play there before the Masters

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Tony Finau has shared one idea that the Houston Open has implemented recently to attract top players to the event.

The tournament takes place just two weeks before the Masters, so it would be easy for many to sit it out and practice at home instead.

However, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and several other high-profile names have signed up to play at the Memorial Park Golf Course.

Here’s what Finau had to say about what the Houston Open does to make it more appealing ahead of the Masters.

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Houston Open makes key decision to attract top players before the Masters

McIlroy has been known to take time off between the Players Championship and the Masters, but that’s not the case this season.

The Northern Irishman has decided to compete at the Houston Open this week in preparation for the challenge of Augusta National – and so has Scheffler.

While he didn’t mention any specific players, Finau explained why the likes of McIlroy and Scheffler are particularly interested in playing this tournament in the lead-up to the Masters.

He told the PGA Tour media: “I can’t recall anybody asking me about the course, but anybody that asks me about my schedule, I always make sure they know I’m playing Houston and it’s a good golf course.

“I don’t think that there’s a better prep golf course leading up to the Masters than Memorial Park. It’s a big golf course. I think they try to set it up where it’s similar to Augusta National, maybe to have guys play.

“I know that was the case many years ago when it was at other golf courses. But I don’t think that there’s a better course to prepare for something like Augusta National than here.

“I think you’re going to continue to get great players because of the golf course, and I think all the guys have to do is play once to see for themself that this is… I think it’s a world-class golf course and it just happens to be public, which is something that I resonate with as well.

Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and the biggest names in the Houston Open field

Besides Scheffler, McIlroy and 2022 winner Finau, there are plenty of other excellent players in the field for this year’s Houston Open.

Wyndham Clark, Michael Kim and Sahith Theegala are three of the biggest American players who will tee it up at Memorial Park.

Meanwhile, the likes of Jason Day, Min Woo Lee and Si Woo Kim mean there is plenty of international representation in Houston too.